fredag 25 november 2011

We just recieved our first shipment of items from legendary Japanese brand Warehouse!

Warehouse is an Osaka based brand founded in 1995 that makes clothing with obsessive attention to detail & quality. The brand is considered a holy grail brand by denim nerds & vintage connaisseurs across the globe due to their meticulously accurate reproductions of vintage garments, well tailored fits & amazing quality fabrics.

This season we carry a selection of Warehouse T-shirts & sweats, crafted from intensely beautiful loop wheeled jersey cotton fabrics, the finest quality selvage oxford shirts, a thermal shirt put together using a highly unusual vintage style waffle knit technique & the famed 1000XX jeans which is considered one of the most authentic 1950's replicas available on the market!

Besides their own line of clothing, Warehouse also produces Nigo's new brand Human Made, The Seattle based vintage dealer Heller's Cafe's extremely faithful vintage reproductions & a an archival collection for Lee Jeans.

torsdag 24 november 2011

With only a month left 'til Christmas it's definetly time to start thinking about what gifts to get for your family & friends!

David Store Manager C Store

When it comes to mens wear, the best & most timeless garments are often heavily influenced by traditional work & military-wear. For our Christmas wish list this year I've picked 12 of my favourites whose design draws inspiration from these classic themes. A list of items we consider the ultimate Christmas gifts:

Arc'teryx Veilance was established in 2009 & creates technically superior outer wear that is built with a philosophy of fusing form & function, similar to architectural & graphic design ideas. The result of this philosophy is a collection of garments that are superior in quality & performance & that aesthetically are both classic & futuristic at the same time.

One of the most classic brands when it comes to mens apparel is Gloverall. Introducing the original duffle coat in 1951, Gloverall has maintained their military heritage & still managed to reinvent themselves, perfectly balancing modernity with tradition.

From Gloverall my pick is the Mid Length Duffle jacket (€299/SEK 3499:-). Available in the original Tan colorway, as well as Navy & Dark Green, the coat has been tailored to a modern slimmer fit but keeps the classic & timeless look with it's double face tartan-back wool fabric & wood & rope toggle buttons.

When I was a kid I remember my dad always used to wear this really nice & soft woolen sweater that he had got several years before I was born. He still wears it occasionally & even though it's gotten a little scruffy & worn out, the sweater still looks great! I'm of course speaking of the round collar jumper from English brand Alan Paine.

Definetly worth the title of Ultimate Christmas Gift, The Alan Paine O-Pull Sweater (€99/SEK 999:-) is crafted from the finest quality Super Geelong lambswool & is available in 6 different colorways, all equally stylish!

This season Norse Projects offers a selection of items put together using amazing knitted merino lambswool fabrics from Scottish manufacturers Knoll Yarns.

From Norse Projects I've picked the Martin Solid Raglan Sweater €125/SEK 1249:-) which is constructed using the high quality Knoll Yarns lambswool fabric. Typically of Norse Projects, the style of this sweater mixes a kind of sportswear-esque streetwear cool with classic mens wear design, making it an instant hit with men of any generation!

A western-style denim shirt is one of those iconic garments that will never fail you. Through the years Levi's Vintage Clothing has been putting out some of the best options on the market & this season is no exception.

The Levi's Vintage Clothing 1955 Sawtooth MidWorn Shirt (€165/SEK 1649:-) is a very authentic looking washed down version, completed with a western style yoke, beautiful mother of pearl snap buttons & the trademark sawtooth shaped chest pocket flaps. Can I get one too?

Undoubtedly classic, Pendleton Woolen Mills' roots date back to 1863. The brand has since made a name for itself with their beautifully crafted Native American blankets & hard wearing shirts, favoured by everyone from loggers to surfers. To this day Pendleton continues to amaze with their high quality wool products.

I picked the L/S Trail Shirt (€159/SEK 1599:-) from Pendleton Woolen Mills. A classic Umatilla wool over shirt with moleskin elbow patches that goes easily with just about any style. Available in both heather grey & dark navy.

One of the best & most exciting denim labels we know is Momotaro. Concieved in 2006 by Kojima based Japan Blue Group as a realisation of their highest visions, Momotaro deals in the finest quality, Japanese hand made jeans.

From Momotaro I've picked the ER007-2B (€259/SEK 2599:-). A unique pair of jeans crafted from beautiful, super dark denim with a pure indigo dyed warp & black sulphur dyed weft, which makes for a fantastic fade once they start to break in!

The 1947 501 from Levi's Vintage Clothing is the most iconic & quintessential pair of jeans ever made. A classic slim straight model, the 1947 501 is both a vintage & modern pair of jeans at the same time with it's hidden rivets, leather patch & famed Cone Mills 12 oz selvage denim combined with the timeless look & fit.

The version I picked of these impeccable jeans is a wash called 1947 501 One I Love (€199/SEK 1999:-). This wash very accurately resembles a pair of 5 month old jeans that have just started breaking in, complete with 3D whiskering & honeycomb abrasions. Definetly beautiful!

In recent years we've seen a boom in mens fashion inspired by the outdoors. A couple of days ago I even recieved a new Japanese fashion magazine that's all about outdoor apparel from a fashion standpoint. It's safe to say that the outdoors will remain a prominent influence in mens fashion for at least another season. Italian boot makers Diemme perfectly embodies the love affair between fashion & the outdoors, turning out beautifully crafted trekking boots optimized to suit urban use.

Common Projects has established themselves as The luxury sneaker brand with their extremely high quality footwear & low key designs.

From Common Projects my pick is an even more luxurious new addition to the brand. The Premium Achilles (€299/SEK 2999:-) is built up using fine Italian nappa leather, extra padding & leather liner for comfort & an extra layer of leather protecting the outsole stitch for durability. An amazing shoe in all it's simplicity!

Despite all the scandalously skinny cat walk models you see in Paris & Milan, to me great food & great fashion goes hand in hand. One of the best examples of this statement is the Sandqvist x Ekstedt x C Store mini collection. Exclusive to us here at the C Store, the collection celebrates the opening of Swedish master chef Niklas Ekstedt's self titled new restaurant.

They say a really nice pair of shoes can save any outfit. I say this also goes for headwear. A good evidence of this is the great, classic fit Norse Projects Beanie.

Constructed using supreme quality merino lambswool from Scottish Knoll Yarns, the Norse Projects Beanie (€45/SEK 449:-) is available in a wide variety of colors, among them this beautiful indigo blue one.

These fine garments & even more fantastic potential christmas gifts are readliy available both in store & online @ caliroots.com/c-store

Similar in construction & quality to it's older brother Kettle, the Knight boot withstands in the toughest enviroments due to the tough blucher moccasin construction. Comes equipped with raw hide leather laces that adds to the ruggedness of the shoe & that stays tied in any condition.

The restaurant, which opens in mid November on Humlegårdsgatan in Stockholm, is given a distinct, lodge-like wooden decor & draws inspiration from Basque quisine, with cooking concentrated on a large open fire grill.

Niklas wanted the staff to wear aprons that matched the enviroment of the restaurant & came to us at the C Store for help. We suggested a collaboration with Swedish accesories & bag-makers Sandqvist, which we thought would be an excellent choice for Ekstedts with their rugged canvas & leather accessories.

Consisting of a chef apron & knife case produced by Sandqvist using rugged cotton canvas & oiled leather detailing. Designed with the help of Niklas Ekstedt, whos expertise & long experience in kitchen work has set the standard, the collection perfectly matches the rustic nature of "Ekstedts" & the aprons will be worn by the staff at the restaurant.

"The robust & simplistic design of Sandqvist was exactly what I was looking for. The aprons came out so good that I decided to use them for the staff at Restaurang 1900 aswell. Being part of the design process was something I really enjoyed!" says Niklas Ekstedt about the collaboration.

torsdag 17 november 2011

Grenson was established in 1866 & is one of the original British shoemakers that still remains in Northamptonshire, the shoe making capital of England.

Grenson's excellent footwear is still being made in the original factory that the company built in 1895, using basically the same techniques & materials.

All Grenson shoes are goodyear welted, just as they were at the turn of the last century. A much more time consuming way of producing shoes that means the shoes will last longer & that they can be re-soled throughout their lifetime, making a pair of Grenson shoes well worth the investment!

The intricate construction of a pair of Grenson shoes requires over 200 steps & it takes about three weeks to complete these top quality Goodyear welted beauties.

This season we stock 4 different models from Grenson.

The Fred, which perfectly blends British & American workwear with the traditional brogue pattern upper & white wedge sole. The use of Vibram's Moreflex wedge soles gives them a super cool, modern appearance & a surprisingly light & very comfortable feel, while still maintaining the classic English look using super fine calf leather uppers.

Also mixing the modern with the traditional is the Sharp boot. Created using the same brogue patterned calf leather uppers as the Fred boot, Sharp uses crepe rubber soles instead of the traditional double leather. A slightly lower & more narrow profile makes the Sharp boot a very sophisticated & highly wearable piece for all occasions!

A style you never can go wrong with is an old school English Chukka boot. Grenson's version is named Ethan & is put together using brown dyed, top quality calf grain leather. The use of Vibram Moreflex Cristy soles makes the Ethan comfortably bouncy & gives them a cool, street ready style, which works perfectly with denim.

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C Concept Store

The C Store is our premium concept conceived in the summer of 2009. Our main focus at C Store is on high end menswear and accessories with a classic & casual feel, represented in a mix of brands and designers from Europe as well as Japan & America. Our physical store is located at Regeringsgatan 77, right in the heart of Stockholm.